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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. key — for a lock
  3. court — of law
  4. pit — a hole
  5. key — in music
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rash — a series
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lie — to recline
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. court — of a king
  15. wound — an injury
  16. court — for sport
  17. mark — a trace
  18. degree — from a university
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mark — to pay attention

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com